The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-05-10
CEMETERY RIDGE.
sTEvENs's BATTERY AND THE RETREAT
THROUGH THE TOWN.

sTEvENs's BATTERY AND THE RETREAT
THROUGH THE TOWN.
The Fifth Maine Battery belonged to the
First Corps of the Army of the Potomac
reynolds Corps.) The battery arrived at
Gettysburg with the corps on July lst, 1868.
The only Maine troops belonging to the
corps were the Second Battery HalPs) the
Fifth Battery (Stevens) and the Sixteenth
Regiment Infantry (Col. Tilden.) They
were all of the Maine troops that were in
the first days fight. We marched to Gettys-
burg by way of Frederick City, Maryland
and Emmettsburg. We arrived in sight of
Gettysburg about 3 or 10 o'clock in the fore
noon, and turning out of the Emmettsburg
road about three-fourths of mile south of
Gettysburg halted near the southerly point
oflthe roads south of the Seminary. There
we threw of the forage we were hauling on
the guns and went into position in the south
erly end Of the grove on roads before men,
TONED, but did no firing. We remained there
two hours or more when the fight, commenced
in front of us, and near where Reynolds was
killed and further to our right in good earn
est.
in the rear Of our line and put in position
Immediately to the right of the seminary
with Cooper's Battery, the First Pensyl-
vania, on our left The firing was very heavy
In our front. Both batteries were obliged to
fire over the heads of our infantry, who
were on the lower ground in front. We held
this position until the infantry were pressed
back upon us, and our line of battle was out
thanked or overreached by the enemy, when
the whole line-infantry and artill-
ery-gave way. The artillery Of
the First Corps retreated down the
Chambersburg Pike, Cooper's Battery, Fifth
Maine and Battery B, Fourth United States
Artillery, all came down at the same time.
do not know which way Halls Second
Maine Battery went. He had been badly
knocked earlier In the day. We came down
the Chambersburg road into the town until
we struck what have now learned to be
Baltimore street. then marched through this
street and up the Baltimore pike, opposite
the cemetery gate, where we met General
Hancock He called for the captain of ''that
brass battery" l heard what he said and
put myself into his presence.
He ordered me to take my battery on to
that hill, which has since been called "Ste-
vens' Knoll" where the earth works are
thrown up. We Immediately opened upon
the enemy, who were sweeping around the
town and up through the lowland about
Culp's barn. No infantry were on our right
in sight, and none on our left at that time
nearer than the hill opposite the cemetery
gate. Our vigorous fire attracted the atten-
ton Vt Gen. Hunt, presume. who came over
there before we had any support directed us
to tear down gaps in the wall to the rear and
on.the Baltimore pike, so as to facilitate our
retreat If we were driven out. Next came
Wadsworth's brigade, and went In on our
right, and extended in the direction of Culp's
Hill.
1t twas now nearly six o'clock. Wards
worth was not engaged that night. The
rebel infantry had taken shelter behind the
stone fences in our front between the Battery
and Culp's red barn. Soon the Twelfth
Corps, Gen. Slocum's,) one Of the largest in
the army, made its appearance coming up the
pike, $4,000 strong, and went into position on
Culp's hill. This ended the first day with
us. Hancock had turned the other troops
out to the left through the Cemetery and
had formed a line in the direction of Round
Top. Lieut.. c. o. Hunt was wounded in
the thigh in the fight near the Seminary
about o'clock p. M. as near as | can tell,
and several of our men were killed and
wounded. One man was killed and several
wounded on the night of the first after we had
taken position on the knoll near Culp's hill
was shot through both legs below the knee
on the afternoon of the second, and the COM
mand Of the Battery fell to Lieut. L. V.
Whittier. This was about four o'clock in the
afternoon.
The part this battery took in the action of
the Second Day was fully described by Gen.
Hunt in the January number of the Century
Magazine. In the whole battle the Fifth
Battery lost q men and II horses.